Scottish Executive

Care of Elderly People

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what data it holds and monitors in relation to the funding of places in residential and nursing homes for elderly people.

Mr Tom McCabe: Up until 31 March 2002:

  The R1: Residential Care Homes Census, run by the Scottish Executive, collected information on the funding of all long-stay residents in residential care homes. Residents were classed as being funded: (1) Wholly or mainly by private means; (2) Wholly or mainly by local authority; (3) Wholly or mainly by DSS – preserved rights residents, and (4) Wholly or mainly by health board.

  The ISD(S)34 Private Nursing Homes and Hospices Census, run by ISD, Scotland, collected information on the funding of residents in nursing homes. Residents were classed as being funded by: (1) local authority; (2) health board; (3) self-finance; (4) DSS, and (5) Other.

  Results from these two surveys are published in Scottish Community Care Statistics each year.

  In 2003, a new Scottish Care Homes Census was introduced to replace both of the above surveys. Information is collected on the funding of all long-stay residents as follows:

  Financial Support

  Receiving free personal care (Y/N)

  Receiving free nursing care (Y/N)

  Mainly or wholly funded by: (1) local authority; (2) private means; (3) NHS.

  Former preserved rights resident (Y/N)

  The results of the Scottish Care Homes Census will be published at the end of the year.

  Aggregate data is held within ISD Scotland on the funding of places in nursing homes for each year from 1997 to 2002:

  For years ending 31 March 1999 to 31 March 2002, data are available, by means of funding (namely local authority, health board, DSS, self-financed, and other) on the following: numbers of residents at the beginning of the year, numbers of admissions (by type of resident: "long-term", "respite" and "other short-term"), numbers of discharges, numbers of deaths, numbers of residents at the end of the year (by type of resident: "long-term", "respite" and "short-term").

  For years ending 31 March 1997 and 1998, data are available on residents by main source of financial support (local authority, NHS, self-funding (self or relatives), DSS (preserved rights)), and by type of resident ("long-term", "respite" and "other short-term").

  In addition, for years ending March 2001 and March 2002 data are available on numbers of self-funding residents by gender, age, and by client group, namely: dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health problems, alcohol-related problems, drug-related problems, other health care needs.

  No data other than those already published are available for years prior to 1997.

Dentistry

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patient places are available with NHS registered dentists in each NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not available.

Maternity Services

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce hearing screening for newborn babies in every NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: In Scotland, the introduction of newborn hearing screening will be taken forward in two steps. The first step which involved the establishment of two screening pathfinder sites in Tayside and Lothian NHS Boards is in place with screening of newborn babies in these areas beginning in January and March 2003 respectively. The second step involving the roll-out of the screening programme in all NHS boards areas across Scotland is expected to be in place by April 2005.

Mental Health

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-704 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 June 2003, when the information sought on psychiatric specialist posts will be provided and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in the document Psychiatric Specialist Posts (1998–2002) , derived from ISD census data, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number: 28735).

Museums and Galleries

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when its response to the consultation exercise to assist in the development of an action plan for museums and galleries will be published.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive’s response to the consultation exercise to assist the development of an Action Plan for Scotland’s museums and galleries was published today. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28833).

Non-Domestic Rates

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations exist in respect of the late payment of business rates.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 makes provision for recovery procedures to be initiated by local authorities where payment by instalment is not maintained.

Non-Domestic Rates

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how any shortfall in income from business rates for 2002-03 was made up.

Mr Andy Kerr: The amount of income from non-domestic rates collected by local authorities for 2002-03 is not yet available.

  Figures on the actual amount collected will not be available until November.

Nutrition

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what nutritional standards there are for food served in care homes, hospitals, day centres and prisons.

Mr Tom McCabe: The National Care Standards address the issue of nutrition in care homes and day centres. The standards say that meals should be varied and nutritious, reflect the service user’s preferences and any special dietary needs including ethnic, cultural and faith ones. Meals should be well prepared and cooked, and attractively presented. The Care Commission, in carrying out its regulatory function, will expect providers to demonstrate that they are meeting the standards.

  The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) aims to provide adequate and nutritious food and offer a balanced diet and is working towards national targets within the framework for promoting health in the SPS.

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has consulted on a new standard for food, fluid and nutritional care in all Scottish Hospitals. It is expected to be published in September.

Planning

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any outstanding planning issues in regard to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s waste management and recycling PPP project and, if so, what the nature of these issues is and when they will be resolved.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: There are three outstanding planning issues relating to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s waste management project.

  1. Aucheninnes landfill site (Dalbeattie): A legal agreement between the council, the applicant and Scottish Natural Heritage in respect of a management and monitoring plan for the site has still to be signed before the council grants planning permission. The timescale for concluding the legal agreement is a matter for the signatories.

  2. Edingham waste transfer station (Dalbeattie): The applicant has appealed to the Scottish ministers against the council’s refusal of planning permission. A public local inquiry has been held and the decision will be issued in due course.

  3. Locharmoss leachate pipeline (Dumfries): A planning application for a pipeline to remove leachates from the existing landfill site at Locharmoss to the town sewer in Dumfries is currently being processed by the council.

Public Sector Staff

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many government jobs were dispersed to Greenock and Inverclyde from 1999 to 2003 to date and how many such jobs will be dispersed to these areas from now to 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr: No government jobs have been relocated to Greenock and Inverclyde since 1999.

  The Executive remains committed to ensuring that Government in Scotland is efficient and decentralised, as part of the wider vision of more accessible, open and responsive Government. We are committed to examining opportunities as they arise and on a case-by-case basis. In this context, no areas of the country are targeted and equally none are ruled out, nor are there any targets for the number of jobs to be relocated or the areas to which they might go. Greenock and Inverclyde will continue to be considered as potential relocation sites.

Scottish Executive Publications

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7260 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, how many documents it published in August 2000 and, of these, how many bore the heading "Making it Work Together", and how much each document cost to produce.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive produced eight main publications in August 2000, three of which did not carry the heading "Making it Work together" because they were published by the Scottish Executive on behalf of other bodies. The details are as follows:

  

 Unsuitable Adults Working 
  with Children
 £5,293.00


 NHS confederation leaflet*
 £781.00


 Sex Offenders Act 1997 revised 
  guidance
 £7,820.25


 Active Communities Response 
  Document
 £2,274.20


 Maclean Committee Executive 
  Summary*
 £891.00


 Scottish Economic Report 
  – July 2000*
 £9,343.85


 Chief Medical Officer’s 
  Report
 £11,471.00


 Framework for Economic Development
 £17,651.88



  Note:

  *Branding not included.

Teachers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teacher placements in business there have been as part of the Excellence in Education through Business Links programme in each year since the beginning of the programme.

Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and, in particular, Careers Scotland.